Wonderful time with family and friends

I hope everyone had a wonderful week celebrating with family and friends. We had a great time!!!

I've never spent so much time in the kitchen like I did last week. When it comes to the kitchen, I've never had a good reputation, lol. Whenever my family comes, they even bring their own pots to cook, lol. I just don't like to complicate my life too much. I prefer simple dishes. Latin food is too much work and is not the healthiest one either. I do make excellent rice, lol

Anyway, this was the first time my friend and her family were coming to visit. They came from Maryland. I wanted to make them a nice meal to welcome them. I spent the whole day in the kitchen preparing everything. Very simple meal: black beans, rice, chicken breast, salad and (3)ricotta cheesecake for dessert. My friend couldn't believe it! She knew about my reputation so she was very impressed. She said I'm not allowed to say anymore that I don't know how to cook. Dinner was delicious!!! So, the rest of the week, I was in the kitchen cooking with her :)

My dad came with them too. I think we all had a great time together. All we did was eat, drink and listen to music the whole week. It was nice!!! We were so involved in spending time together that we forgot to take family pictures on Christmas Eve.

At least we took a picture of our meal. I only made the rice, :) That turkey, I had it in the freezer since Thanksgiving. I won that turkey at a supermarket. I didn't know how to make it. My friend didn't know how to make it either so she called her mom in DR and she gave her all the instruction over the phone. My mom tried telling me over the phone also, but I was just laughing :)



Here we have turkey, potato salad (we call it Russian salad-I don't know why), baby ribs, steak and rice with green pigeon peas. It was mostly meat. We don't really eat meat, but that's all our guests eat. It's a Latin American thing. A meal without meat, it's not a meal :) They didn't eat the turkey. We still have turkey in the fridge.



Here we are with our friend Laura that came to have dinner with us.










Here are our friends: Rosy, Susanita, Fernando y Mafer (short for Maria Fernanda)






Here I am with my dad. Now you can see where I get the looks, lol. Well, I actually look more like my mom.








Here is Gaby enjoying some time with Abuelo (grandpa).








Santa came!!!! and he brought a lot of things!!! This year we were reusing/re-gifting. I had a bunch of books, DVDs and a Leap Pad that were used but looked like brand new. We wrapped them all for the girls. They loved them!!!

Gaby didn't get the telescope that he wanted. Santa had ordered it online and didn't find out until two days before that it was out of stock and it was not going to be available until Feb. Santa left some $$$ so he can start saving for it. He also got two books. Grandpa got him an electronic speaking dictionary. Plus, he received three Barnes $ Nobles gift cards. Of course he was happy.



Gaby asked Santa for a bed for Speedy. So, here is Speedy enjoying his new gift. He is chewing the little pillow, lol. He also got a bone.

Mokis was not behind. Gaby asked Santa for some treats for him and he got it.



Ok, I think you guys are probably bored by now. My next post will be about some projects that I'm working on.

Have a wonderful New Year's Eve

Where should I start? It's been almost a month!!!!

I can't believe it's been that long since I last posted here. I really need to try harder to update my blog.

Ok, so right after Thanksgiving, I was working day and night on my Bow Business. I had the Christmas On Main Street show last Monday and it was a great experience!! I really enjoyed it! I met a lot of wonderful people and I made some $$ too. I truly believe that some doors will open for me based on that show. I met a very, very nice lady that offered to take my catalog and samples to a gift store in SC. I met with her on Wednesday to give them to her. I hope she brings me really great news next week. She also mentioned that she has a friend here that owns a dance store and that she does consignment. She might be interested in my ballerina clippies.







I got a lot of positive feedback and that made me all excited. Now, I'm looking forward to do another small show right before Valentine's Day. I need to look into that ASAP as I don't have that much time to get ready.

Oh, I also made a cute outfit (tutu and zumba onesie) for one of our zumba instructors. She loved it!!!! Here is a picture.

I love the way it came out. Working with tulle was a little tedious, lol I need to practice a little bit more though. I can't wait to see the baby wearing her tutu. She is our future zumba diva, :-P

On another note, this year, for the first time in the many years we've been together, we decided to get a real Christmas tree. We were so excited when we got. No so much right now. The poor tree is not doing well. it's really dry and we've been watering it everyday. Here is a picture we took a couple of weeks ago.
We are expecting my dad and some family friends for Christmas. They were supposed to arrive tomorrow but because of the snow storm in the North East everything in closed and they might not be able to make it here until Monday. That gives me another day to get the house ready, lol

Ok, I think that would be all for now. I have to get back to cleaning.

Happy Holidays!!! I hope you all have a fantastic one!!!!

Operation Christmas Child and Zumbatrine

Today I dropped off my boxes for Operation Christmas Child. Gaby and I had a great time putting the boxes together. We made two boxes for girls. We'll make boxes for boys next year. There are not that many cute things for boys out there. I mean, have you noticed when you go to a kids store that 3/4 of the store is for girls and a tiny little corner for boys. That's just not fair. They need to come out with a "Justice for Boys" store, :)


We tried to put as many things as possible in the boxes. Skorts, t-shirts, scarf, pencils, crayons, slinkys, erasers, socks, coloring books, dolls, jump ropes, headbands and candy.

Gaby wrote them a cute little card. I meant to scan them but I forgot.

After we finished putting the boxes together, we went to the kitchen and started making tacos for dinner. Gaby loves to have Chinese fortune cookies after dinner. So, he opened his cookie and it said, "If you continually give, you'll continually have." He was so excited to read that. He was like, "Isn't that what we just did? We'll always have because we are always giving." I thought that was cute. He has such a giving heart. I love my boy!

I also wanted to share with you my latest amigurumi inspiration.
This doll was inspired by one of my zumba instructor, Jatrine Bentsi-Enchill. She is an amazing woman. You can learn more about her here. Jatrine said she was going to take a picture of her and the doll wearing the same outfit. I'll post a picture of them together once I get it. You can always find more pictures of the doll on my FB fan page.

It's been a little while

I really don't know where time goes. It's so hard to keep up with everything. I was even thinking about canceling my blog. It just seems that lately I don't have time to keep it up. Between FB fan page, twitter, Etsy, sewing, knitting, amigurumis, ribbon sculptures, zumba, the tons of online forums that I belong to and everything else that needs to get done around the house, it's really hard to find the time for blogging.

I'm also trying to get ready for an event on Dec. 14th., Christmas on Main Street. I'll have a table set up to sale my hair accessories. It will be my first time doing it and I want to be as prepared as I can.

BTW, on Feb. 6, 2010 I'll be doing Zumba with the Charlotte Bobcats. That should be a lot of fun so I'm really excited!

I wanted to share some pretty cool links that I found. The Lined zippered boxy pouched is very easy to make. Mine came out really cute, :) I put some pictures on my fan page. Canon Creative Park is pretty neat for paper crafts. You can print 3D animals, airplanes, buildings, people, etc. You can enjoy a nice afternoon putting something together with the kids. And if you don't know what to do with those old magazines, turn them into Recycled magazine coasters. Last, but not least, the Nani birds are cutest 3D paper birdies. You can find all kinds and you can even design your own.

I hope to see you on my fan page soon.

Celebrating 17 wonderful years together!!!!

Today, it's been 17 years that John and I have been together. I wanted to create a slide show of all the wonderful memories from all these years. First, I couldn't think of a song. I can't believe we don't have a song. I mean, we have a bunch of songs that we love and have shared together but they don't really say anything about our relationship. Then, I couldn't find enough pictures. I have no idea what happened to our photos prior to digital cameras, lol. The slide show is not that great as I didn't know how to cut the song after the last photo. I suck at computer programs. I've been trying to learn to use Etsy, FB fan pages, blog, movie maker,...all at once. A little frustrating.

Anyway, here is the video. I love watching it. It does bring wonderful memories to me. John is the most wonderful guy. I know that nobody is perfect, but he is as close to perfect as anyone can get. And, I'm not just saying that because he cooks and clean. Of course, that helps :) but because he is the sweetest and most lovable one. He is the one that has always been there for me no matter what. He is my best friend and I love him deeply.


I wanted to add a little poem to the slide show but I didn't know how. So, here it is. I didn't write it myself but I think it says it all. I got it form Love Poems and Quotes (Love poem #28).

Will you ever?

I don't think you will
ever fully understand
how you've touched my life
and made me who I am.

I don't think you could ever know
just how truly special you are
that even on the darkest nights
you are my brightest star.

I don't think you will ever fully comprehend
how you've made my dreams come true
or how you've opened my heart
to love and the wonders it can do.

You've allowed me to experience
something very hard to find
unconditional love that exists
in my body, soul, and mind.

I don't think you could ever feel
all the love I have to give
and I'm sure you'll never realize
you've been my will to live.

You are an amazing person
and without you I don't know where I'd be.
Having you in my life
completes and fulfills every part of me.

Happy Birthday to me!!!!!!

Exactly 39 years ago, my mom had the best birthday present she could ever ask for, ME!  Happy Birthday to both of us!!!

That's a picture of me when I was a baby.  See how cute I was?  I think I'm still adorable, lol :)

It's all about Mokito!

For the longest time, I've been trying to blog about this guy. He seems to be neglected lately and I feel pretty guilty about it. Mokito, our bunny, is turning 5. He is the sweetest little thing and has given us many years of happiness. He used to be the king of the house until Speedy came to invade his space :)

Here is a little video of Mokis taking a bath. He loves doing that!



Isn't he the sweetest little thing? See how he used to play with Mr. Peach, our hamster. Mr. Peach died 3 yrs ago :(



























Gaby and Mokis were always together. They would even read and watch TV together.



































I love this pose! This used to be his favorite spot, under the dining table.During Christmas time, he always picked a spot under the tree.







Everything was great until speedy, the dog, came. Speedy just takes so much of our time and energy. Now, Mokis spends most of the time in his crate. Sometimes I put Speedy on his crate so Mokis can have a break and stretch a little around the kitchen area without Speedy chasing him. It's not like Speedy is going to eat him. He just wants to play but he is so strong that he might hurt him by accident.

Anyway, that's the story with these guys. We love them both very much!!!

R.I.P. Gilberto Zaldivar

This week has been totally crazy. I've been trying to stay away from the computer which probably explains why I haven't blogged. Lately, we've been bombarded with unpleasant news. They don't necessarily have anything to do with us still, they affect you one way or the other. They make you think and reflect about your own life, health, and future. I'm really trying not to let things get to me. It's really hard though.

On Tuesday, one of the Co-founder of the Theatre my husband works for, Gilberto Zaldivar, passed away. My husband had to fly to NY unexpectedly. The viewing(Celebration of his Life) is today at the Theatre.

That last time I saw him was when we were living in FL almost 6 years ago. He came down from NY to spend Christmas with his sister and he had invited us to dinner at his sister's house.
Here are some pictures from that night. He was always smiling or making jokes. I remember he was fascinated with Gaby and was trying to keep him entertained.



Gaby was playing the keyboard and delighting everyone with his concert.


R.I.P. Gilberto

My Grandmother Turns 96 and She is Full of Energy

I can't believe it's been a week already since I last posted. Time does fly :)

Well, tomorrow, October 2, my beautiful grandmother is turning 96 years young. Can you believe that? She has more energy than me :-) The last time I went to her birthday, she was 85. It was a huge party! Relatives from all over the world went. I couldn't make it to her 90's birthday either. But, I will not miss her 100th birthday for anything. We are all looking forward to celebrate that. My great grandmother (her mother) died when she was 105. I know my grandma still has many years to come. It's really a blessing to have her!

When I went to Dom. Rep. last month for a weekend, I was able to spend a few hours with her. We had a good laugh remembering how she used to send our dates (my sisters and I) away when we were in high school. We used to get so mad. Now, we just laugh about it.

Here are some of the pictures I took went I saw her recently.

Bad hair day, lol. I think she still looks beautiful!

I love this picture!!!

If you want to have a laugh. Take a look at her dancing. I told you she has a lot of energy.



This picture is in the roof of her house. She is trying to get some avocados from the tree.

I just couldn't help to take pictures of all the plants and trees she has in her front yard.

Here are some plantains.

Pomegranate

Sugar Cane- I had a big one and it was so sweet.
Avocados-The best avocados I ever tasted.

These are "limas" in spanish. I have no idea what's the name in english. I've never seen them here. They are a family of the grapefruit, lemons, etc...

Feliz Cumpleaños, mama!!!! Happy Birthday, grandma!!!

My adventures in sewing

I just couldn't wait to post this! I'm so excited! I can't even believe I made it! You know that sewing is totally new to me, but when it comes to learn a new craft I could be very stubborn :)

Last week, I bought this pattern on sale for $0.99. I didn't know anything about patterns and skill levels. I just thought it was cute. As soon as Gaby got back from school I showed it to him. He immediately asked me to make him a dog in orange. I was up for the challenge. That night I cut the pattern. Of course, I didn't know anything about notches and markings so I skipped all that, lol. Man, did I learn a lot with this project. I spent the whole day on Friday (that is since I dropped him off at school that morning until it was time to pick him up in the afternoon) sitting in front of the sewing machine trying to figure out the pattern.

When I thought I finally got it, I started putting the pieces together. My first attempt to stitch the nose and the needle broke. Great! I had no idea how to change the needle. I looked in the manual and I figured it out. I also found out that I needed to use a different size needle for the fabric I was using, duh! I did all that and continue with the project. I was going nuts trying to figure out the head piece. It just didn't make any sense to me. I decided to put the head to the side and work on the rest of the pattern. I was so frustrated with that head piece :(. On Saturday afternoon, I brought my project to the Knit Knuts meeting and Aura and I went thru the pattern together. I insisted that there was a mistake with the pattern. So, when I came home that night, I decided to go with my visual eye and try again. I did it my way and it worked. There is a mistake in that pattern. There is a part on the head piece that says to stitch it together. Well, you are not supposed to stitch it because that's the part that you'll attach to the body later one. Anyway, I'm glad I figured that out. It was really hard to put the whole piece together. I ended up doing some hand sewing because some parts had to many layers of fabric and couldn't get them to go thru the foot. I even tried raising the foot all the way up and lowering the teeth of the machine.

Anyway, here is Hobbes. That's how Gaby named him.



Isn't Hobbes adorable?

I love his nose!


Gaby kept saying, "Wow, I really like it. You did a great job!" He is so happy with his new pillow! I guess all the frustration was worthy.

Zumbathon 2009

Last night was our two hour zumbathon. We had a blast! Here are some of the video clips my husband made.

I'm sure you'll figure out which one is me because I make the most weird and funny faces when I dance, lol.

Here we are doing a song by Paulina Rubio. Jatrine is the instructor. She is awesome!!! I go to her class twice a week.

This is a Cumbia. Koh is the instructor and I think she has trained all the instructors here. She is unbelievable! I take her class twice a week.

I'm already tired here. This instructor, Irina, is from Ukraine. She has so much energy. I take her class once a week.

Ok, I think that's it for now. I promise to put pictures of my trip to DR and from my sewing adventures on my next post.

I finally finished my tote bag

Well, I'm back from my really short, short trip to Dominican Republic. I had a great time with the family and some friends. The play was awesome. I was very impressed with their performance. I will post pictures from the trip and the play at another post. I think it deserves a post of its own :).

In the meantime, I wanted to share with you my tote bag. It's all finished! I'm so proud! I mean, it's not perfect. I made a few mistakes but you can barely see them.

Here are some pictures:

Front view

Side view

Inside

For my next project, I'm thinking about making this dress. It seems very easy to make. We'll see.

I'm so proud of myself!

I've been playing around with my sewing machine at home. It's been so much fun that I think I'm addicted now :). I made the black apple doll. It turned out so cute! It's my first softie and I'm so proud. It's definitely not perfect, but you can barely see the imperfections. I still need to sew the top of the head. I was thinking about adding some black yarn for more hair. I will also make her a scarf and add some buttons.




I also made a headband. It was very easy to make. I think I'm going to make myself a whole collection :)





So, what do you guys think? To be a newbie, not bad at all right?
I haven't finish my tote bag though. I've been working on that in class. Since I missed almost half of the class last week, I haven't been able to finish. I think I'll finish it on my next class. I already sewed the handles and iron the interfacing. Now, it's just a matter of putting it all together. I can tell you that it's looking very nice :)

I need to start thinking what my next sewing project would be. I want something more advance so I can learn as much as I can. Any suggestions?

Anyway, I should probably start getting ready for my trip tomorrow. I have so much to do today.